Teaching and learning English more effectively through group work

CONTENTS:
1. OPENING
1.1. Reason for choosing the research
1.2. Aims of the research
1.3. Objects of the research
1.4. Researching method
1.5. New features of the research
2. MAIN CONTENT
2.1 Theoretical bases of the research
2.2. Problems and solutions to the problems
2.3. Used solutions to the problems
2.4. Results after applying the method for teaching
3. CONCLUSION
- Conclusion
- Suggestions
1. OPENING
1.1. Reasons for choosing the research
 Learning a language is a complex and long process. One of the most difficult things is making the transition from the classroom to the 'real' world. Speaking another language outside the classroom is completely different and often students are lost at sea as soon as they step outside the door. English teachers in Vietnam have just adopted communicative approach for just a few years since the using of the new textbooks. However, it seems that they have not gained enough achievements in drawing students’ attention to learning English effectively. Most of the teachers are used to this new English textbook and
try to find out good teaching methods as much as possible to apply in English periods. In order to make his English period more effective, the teacher himself must find
out the way of teaching suitable for his students. In a good English period, the students play active roles and the teacher is only the adviser. To become active in each English period, students should be given chances to work on their own, sometimes individually, sometimes in groups. But sometimes the teacher gets stuck in organizing group work effectively. 
	In this writing, I would like to present some experiences that I have had since I applied group work in my teaching English: “ Teaching and learning English more effectively through group work”.
1.2. Aims of the research
- To show the advantages of working in groups.
- To show how to organize group work effectively. 
- To encourage English teachers to use group work method more often.
- To give some solutions to deal with initial problems that may arise.
1.3. Objects of the research
- Students at Le Hong Phong high school
- Methods in organising activities in the class
1.4. Researching methods
Reading text books, reference books, conducting a survey, discussing with other
teachers.
1.5. New features of the research
The effectiveness of group work applied in teaching English to stimulate learning English among students, observing and drawing out experiences.
2. CONTENT
2.1. Theoretical bases of the research
2.1.1 What is group work?
 Group work or teamwork is that students work in small groups (of four or five) on tasks that entail interaction: conveying information, for example, or group decision making. All the groups work at the same time. The teacher walks around, listens, and intervenes little if necessary.
 Group work involves students working collaboratively on set tasks, in or out of the classroom. Group work includes:
 - any learning and teaching tasks or activities that require students to work in groups
 - any formal assessment tasks that require students to work in groups.
Group sizes can vary from pairs to large groups of students. This guide deals with small groups (pairs and small teams of three to six). While the focus is on the face-to-face environment, much of the content also applies to larger groups or the online context.
2.2.2. Main advantages of group work
 For certain types of activities, group work has many numbers of advantages in working with the whole class together. Teachers should think what the main advantages are to make it more effective when applying it during classes.
 Working with other individuals allows a task to be divided and the work load to be reduced consequently, saving time towards completion. A reduction of problems is attributed to the validation members receive in groups as well as their opportunity to ventilate (Northen, 1987; Shulman, 1999). This therefore allows the individual to focus on a subsidiary area with more effort and complete it to a higher standard. On the other hand, working in a group can also be frustrating and cause conflict. A common disadvantage that is found within group work is that "free-riding" within the team may occur (Medsker and Campion 1992). This is when certain members of the group do not contribute yet still gain recognition for the remainder of the group’s efforts. This instigates dispute and irritation to the rest of the group as firstly they must carry out the work the ‘free rider’ has failed to complete, and secondly the free-rider can potentially achieve a high grade without contributing. Furthermore, this can then lead to lack of motivation and failure to complete the task. Additionally, another advantage is that the input given from different people allows the ideas produced to be of a better.
*) Students have more chances to practice English:
Pair work and group work give students far more chance to speak English.
For example, students are given an exercise of making sentences (question &
answer), working in pairs, each student makes as many sentences as they can. If
the exercise was done “round the class”, every student can have a chance to say at
least one sentence.
*) Students are more involved:
Some activities will probably be dominated by a few students and others
may lose interest if they are conducted with the whole class together. Working in
pairs or groups encourages students to be more involved and to concentrate on the
task.
*) Students feel more confident:
Students feel less anxious when they are working in pairs or groups than
when they are on show in front of the whole class. Pair work and group work can
help shy students who never say anything in a whole class activity.
*) Students learn from each other:
Pair work and group work encourage students to share ideas and
knowledge. In a reading activity, students can help each other to explore the
meaning of a text; in a discussion activity, students can give each other new ideas.
*) Students know how to co-operate and share the work with each other:
The effectiveness of pair work and group work in teaching and learning English
Students know that their task is successful or not it depends on not only
themselves but also their partners. Therefore, when working in pairs or groups
students know how to co-operate and share the work with each other to lead a good
result.
*) Teacher can save time:
When teacher asks students work in pairs or groups at the same time he can
save more time than when he gets them to work individually.
2.2. Problems and solutions to the problems
2.2.1. Problems: 
*) The class is noisy:
 Obviously group work in a large class will be noisy, and this cannot be helped. However, usually the students themselves are not disturbed by the noise; it is more
noticeable to the teacher standing at the side or to someone in the next room.
 - The noise created by pair work and group work is usually “good” noise.
Students use English or engage in a learning task. Teacher should stop the activity
when most groups or pairs have finished or prepare a “reserve” task to occupy
members of groups who finish earlier than expected.
*) Students make mistakes:
 During a pair or group activity, the teacher cannot control all the language
used, and should not try to do so. When doing controlled language practised in
pairs or groups, the number of mistakes can be reduced by:
- Giving enough preparation, the activity can be done with some model
presentation first, and pair work or group work is used in final stage.
- Checking afterwards, the teacher can ask some pairs or groups what they
said, and then correct mistakes if necessary.
*) It is sometimes difficult to control class:
The teacher has less control over what students are doing in pair work and
group work than in normal class. To stop activities getting out of control, it is
important to:
- Give clear instructions on how to start, what to do and when to stop.
- Give clearly defined tasks which don’t continue for too long.
- Set up a routine, so that students accept the idea of working in pairs or
groups, and know exactly what to do.
2.3. Used solutions to the problems
2.3.1. Presentation:
 The instructions that are given at the beginning are crucial. Teachers should select simple tasks to describe easily; and in monolingual classes, maybe it is cost-effective to explain some or all in the students’ mother tongue. It is advisable to give the instructions before giving out materials and dividing the class into groups of 4 or 5 students and a preliminary rehearsal or “dry run” of a sample of the activity with the full class can help to clarify things. If your students have already done similar activities, you will be able to shorten the process, giving only brief guidelines. Try to foresee what language will be needed, and have a preliminary quick review of appropriate grammar or vocabulary. Finally before giving the sign to start tell the class what the arrangements are for stopping. If there is a time limit, or a set signal for stopping, say what it is; if the pairs or groups simply stop when they have finished, then tell them what they will have to do next. It is wise to have a reserve task planned to occupy members of pairs or groups who finish earlier than expected.
2.3.2. Process:
 Teacher goes from group to group, pair to pair, monitor, and either contribute or keep out of the way whichever is likely to be more helpful. If you do decide to intervene, your contribution may take the form of:
 - Providing general approval and support.
 - Helping students who are having difficulties.
 - Keeping the students using the target language (in many cases your mere
presence will ensure this!).
 - Tactfully regulating participation in a discussion where you find some students are over dominant and others are silent.
2.3.3. Ending:
 Draw the activity to a close at a certain point. Try to finish the activity while
the students are still enjoying it and interested, or only just beginning to flag.
2.3.4. Feedback:
 A feedback session usually takes place in the context of full-class interaction
after the end of the pair work or group work. Feedback on the tasks may take many
forms:
 - Giving the right solution, if there is one
 - Listening to and evaluating suggestions
 - Pooling ideas on the board
2.3.5. Demonstration:
 Before teaching teacher should prepare group work activities carefully. If he can do so the students are attracted to his designed activities. The climate of the class is very exciting as everyone must practice. Some teachers say that group work can only be applied in speaking or reading periods. For me I can apply them in all periods. Besides teacher can redesign the material so that it is suitable for his students. And below are some my examples that I have already applied.
2.3.6. Examples of group work:
Example 1:
In Unit 3: A party – Speaking (English 11)
Teacher: Work in groups. You are going to take part in a competition to organize
the best party. Decide on the following:
 - budget
 - formal or informal dress
 - date and time
 - decorations
 - who to invite
 - entertainment (music, games, etc.)
 - place
 - food and drink
When students work in groups they should co-operate and share the work with
each other. If they know how to work together and help each other their group will
finish earlier.
Example 2:
In Unit 1: Home life – Speaking (English 12)
Teacher: Work in groups of four (the father, the mother, the daughter, the son).
Each person in the family says something about the family and duties to the
family.
Students work in groups and they find it easy to finish their roles.
Example 3:
In Unit 2: Cultural Diversity – Reading (English 12)
Teacher: Work in groups to discuss the question: “What are the differences
between a traditional Vietnamese family and a modern Vietnamese family?”
Students discuss in groups to find out the differences as many as possible.
The features of a traditional Vietnamese family
 - There are a lot of children in the family.
 - Parents often decide whom their children will marry
- Wives never decide to do things in the family without asking their husbands’
 - Most men often achieve a dominant position in the family.
 - Men rarely cook in the kitchen. Cooking is considered women’s task.
The features of a modern Vietnamese family
- There are only one or two children in
the family
- Parents let their children decide whom they will marry
- Both the father and the mother work to earn the living
- The father can look after his children and help in the house even his wife doesn’t go out to work.
Example 4:
In Unit 3: A party – Writing (English 11)
Teacher: Work in groups. Read the instructions carefully and cross out the words
in the table. When you have followed all the instructions, there will be five words
left. What are the five words? How are they connected? (Warm up)
Overcoat exercise drama photos injection floods perform lecture duck champion candles parrot gift wardrobe coach operation card golf cartoon tablet essay referee flower
Steps: 
1. Cross out four words
connected with sports 
2. Cross out three words
connected with education
3. Cross out three words
connected with medicine
and illness 
4. Cross out two birds
5. Cross out three words
connected with the theatre
6. Cross out two words
connected with clothing
7. Cross out two words
connected with the
natural world 
Students work in groups and find out five words left quickly: flower, candles, gift,
card, photos. à They are connected with a party.
From my examples above I can almost apply group work in most of my teaching periods.
2.4. Results after applying the research in teaching
The table below expresses clearly the differences in the students’ attitude
towards the way to participate in the lessons. Before applying the research in
teaching not all students in classes take part in the lessons actively. After applying
it, students join in the lessons more actively. The climate of classes is more exciting.
Class
Number of students
Before applying the research
After applying the research
11B2
24
About 30% students take part actively in the lesson
75% students take part actively in the lesson
12C2
23
About 26% students take part actively in the lesson
About 80% students take part actively in the lesson
12C6
39
About 15% students take part actively in the lesson
About 65% students take part actively in the lesson
3. CONCLUSION
3.1. Conclusion:
Group work are not “teaching methods”, but ways of organizing the class. They can be used for many different kinds of activity, and are naturally more suitable for some activities than for others. Before deciding what kind of activity will be used teacher should answer the following questions:
- Can you use group work for part of the activity?
- If so, exactly what will students do in groups?
- What will you need to do before the group stage?
- Is there anything you will do after it?
In group work, learners from a learning task can play active roles through small pair or group interaction. Learners in a class that is divided into eight groups or 20 pairs get eight times or twenty times as many opportunities to communicate as in full class organization. The effectiveness of pair work and group work is that it fosters learners responsibility and independence, it can improve motivation and contribute to a feeling of cooperation and warmth in the class, so that organizing pair work and group work effectively helps improve learning outcomes.
3.1.2. Suggestions 
Any controlled oral practice can be done first with the whole class, and then in groups.
* Practicing short dialogues:
The effectiveness of pair work and group work in teaching and learning English
Acting out short dialogues can very easily be done in pairs, with little chance of
making mistakes. It can be done first with pairs of students in front of the class
and then with all students working in pairs at the same time.
* Reading a text and answering questions:
Students can discuss questions in pairs or groups and then read the text or
they can read the text silently and then ask and answer questions in pairs or groups.
This is a good way of involving the whole class in answering questions.
* Short-writing exercises:
Students can sit in groups and decide together what to write. In each group,
one student acts as “group leader”, one student acts as “secretary”. This can be
difficult to organize but in a large class it has the advantages that students correct
each others’ mistakes and the teacher only has a few papers to mark in the end.
Pair work can be used for correcting written work (eg: homework). Students
sit in pairs and correct what their partners have written.
* Discussions:
With more advanced class, discussions can be conducted in groups. It is
important to define the discussion clearly and to ask each group to report their
conclusions afterwards.
* Grammar exercises:
Students can do grammar exercises orally in pairs; the teacher goes through
the answers afterwards with the whole class and students write the exercises for
homework. This is more interesting and productive than students doing exercises
alone, in silence.
I assume that the content of this research is the result from my personal
experience of teaching. Therefore, there must be some mistakes that I myself still
cannot find out. I hope I will get suggestions from the readers as many as possible.
I hope that the study will make contribution to the better situation of
teaching and learning English in Thanh Hoa – my province.
 Thanh Hoa, May 29th, 2019
 Composer
 Pham Thi Thanh
REFERENCE BOOKS
1. Practical handbook of language teaching (David Cross)
2. A course in language teaching - Practical and Theory (Penny Ur) Cambrige
university press
3. Giáo trình giáo học pháp (Tổ ngoại ngữ –Khoa ngôn ngữ và văn hóa Anh - Mĩ Úc – Trường đại học quốc gia Hà Nội)
4. Phương pháp dạy tiếng Anh Trung học phổ thông (Nguyễn Hạnh Dung)